Scotches and Dreams
by robinsparkles14
Summary: AU-ish. Rumpelstiltskin takes Belle to a tavern in town. Angsty. Rated M for a reason ya'll, but age is just a number. We'll say mature audience. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

_**Hold on a sec...let me check...nope. Turns out I don't own OUAT or any of it's characters. Damn. All of them are property of ABC and Disney. I'm just an obsessive Rumbeller. **_

CHAPTER 1:

SCOTCHES

"_**Keep walking, and running. Running for miles"-Barton Hollow, The Civil Wars**_

It's dark out. It's dark and it's so cold her hands are numb although she's got them tucked under her cloak. She's a bit scared. Yes, this is the first time he's ever taken her outside the castle, and she's shocked by it. She thought that by agreeing to go with him forever, it meant she would never be leaving the castle. Apparently, she thought wrong.

He's trudging along beside her, not at all affected by the weather. _Perhaps it comes with the magic_ she thinks to herself. After all, the most powerful man in all the land can't be bothered by things like cold.

Or cold little housekeepers.

He apparently has no desire to say anything to her. He only continues to walk, and because he is taller and therefore takes longer strides, she is trailing behind, always running to catch up to him. She tries to make out his expression. She's noticed that he gives away a lot by the look on his face. She thinks of the day he caught her when she fell trying to get his curtains open. Had he been wearing his usual mysteriously stony expression, she never would have known how much he cared for her.

She still doesn't know how much he truly loves her.

His expression now is cold, but she can see that it's only his intention. Behind the mask, she can see that he's laughing inside, and that he thinks it's hysterical that she's so confused. She doesn't find it quite so funny.

She walks faster to catch up with him again. "W-Where are we going?" she asks.

He breaks his character for a moment to give her a wicked smile. "Well you've been such a good little caretaker lately, I thought maybe you deserved a treat."

She gives him the same look she did when he first brought her into the castle, saying he was taking her to her room, then she speeds up again because he's passed her again. She sighs softly. She knows he won't be giving her any more information on where they're going. It's not in his nature to let people know what's going on.

He turns a corner to reveal a row of little shops. _Closed _little shops. Each window only darker than the last. And there isn't a single person around. It actually takes her a moment to realize this, since she was now so used to him being her only company. He felt bad about it sometime, not letting her have contact with anyone else.

He never would have guessed that she liked it that way.

"Are we close?" she asks.

He giggles like a child the way he always does. "Yes, Belle, we are nearly there," he says, putting emphasis on her name.

He peers around another corner and turns, motioning for her to follow. She looks around the corner curiously and sees a dimly lit one room shop.

"What is it?" she asks.

He doesn't answer answer her. He only grins again and leads her through the door.

The walls inside are made of dark colored wood, and there are large vertical beams inbetween tables, holding the ceiling in place. Atop each table is a melting candle in a black metal holder. There are people around the tables, too. They're all laughing and drinking beer and hitting each other in a comradely way.

But all that stops when Rumpelstiltskin walks in with Belle on his arm.

Gasps erupt from the people in the building. Many of them whisper, point and stare. And the word _beast _floats through the tables.

Belle holds tight to Rumpelstiltskin's arm through his clingy red shirt. "Why did you take me here?" she whispers.

He strolls up to the bar with her trailing behind, still clinging to him. "To get a drink, of course," he informs her.

She blinks at him in utter disbelief. This was definitely _not _something she would have been able to read in his expression. He came all this way...fighting through the blistering cold only to have people mock him to his face...just to get a drink?

Of course, that isn't why he did it. He did it to get _her _a drink. Because whether or not she knew it...whether or not he was willing to admit it to himself...she meant something to him, and he wanted to prove that to her. This place seemed fitting. He'd spent long nights here with his past wife before it all fell apart.

But he'd never felt this way on any of those occasions.

He shakes the memories off him and looks at the bartender, a busty girl with curly blond hair wearing a lacy dress. "Your finest scotch please," he says, and then his eyes shift over to Belle. "Make it two, actually."

Belle bites her lower lip. She's a bit scared. The only alcohol she's ever tasted is fancy wine back in her father's castle. Never anything like this.

"Are you alright, dear?" Rumpelstiltskin asks her.

"Yes of course," she murmurs, "Thank you."

He giggles that childish giggle she loves. "Don't thank me just yet," he says.

She hates when he does this. When he tries to make everything a huge mystery. It makes her feel so powerless, which she doesn't realize is his entire motive since she's the only person he hasn't been able to hold power over.

The bartender girl slides the drinks over the wood surface of the bar. "Our finest scotch," she murmurs, and then says under her breath, "Rumpelstiltskin."

He takes a sip right away, but Belle only grazes the edge of the glass with her finger, wondering whether or not she should do this. After all, she is still scared.

"Are you sure you're alright, Belle" he asks, putting emphasis on her name again, "You haven't touched your drink."

'_who would ever know anyway?' _she thinks to herself, _'it's not like I'll ever go back'_. "I'm just fine," he tells him, and takes a long sip of the caramel colored liquid.

It's strong. So strong she nearly can't take it. And yet there's something about it that makes her yearn for more and she sips it again. The strength is less overpowering this time, and as she sips it more and more she starts to enjoy the strength as opposed to detesting it.

It is obvious to him that she has never done this before. _'Well thank the Gods' _he tells himself, grateful that she never got drunk with that big, stupid ex-fiancee of hers.

They sit together for hours, sipping down scotches without even thinking about it. The world disappears around them, but they can still see each other clearly despite their clouded state of mind. He tells her about places he's been and deals he's made and she listens hard, hanging on his every word. She wants nothing more than to sit on the wooden barstool next to him and hear his voice drown out everything else.

He asks her about her family. She talks about her mother and how much she loved her. How devastated she was when she died. "I was mean to my father after that. I wanted to blame him. But he was hurt, too, and I hate myself for not seeing it" Belle says, her words slurring a bit.

Rumpelstiltskin watches her intently. "Why did you want to blame him, dearie?" he asks.

"I said they didn't have true love. Because if they did he could have saved her...with magic...and..." she's dizzy and her world is spinning a little.

"You weren't wrong, dearie. True love is the most powerful magic in the world."

She stares at him. Her eyes are dull and clouded and her head is rolling to the side...and yet she still looks so beautiful to him.

"Have you ever had true love with someone?" she asks.

He leans in, trying to read her expression. Not that it would matter, she's drunk out of her mind. But he's so crazed and he's feeling so much...he'll give anything to know something.

"Have you, Belle?" he asks her.

She blinks. Again and again before swirling the last bit of her drink around in her glass and drinking it all. Then she turns to face him and places her hand over his heart feeling his pace quicken. "That depends on whether you're talking about reality or a dream," she drawls, "Because in reality...I've never had shared love, where two people feel the same way about each other. But in my dreams, I found exactly what I was looking for."

Her words sting a bit. "do you dream about your betrothed, dear?"

She looks aghast, and nearly drops her glass. "Gods no! Rumpelstiltskin...these dreams...they're about _you._"

_**To be continued, whether you ask or not! Because that's just the kind of writer I am, muahaha! Anyway, if you're wondering about the timeline, think after Red ate her boyfriend but before Jiminy became a cricket. I say this because *spoiler* I'm gonna be throwing some Red Cricket stuff in later. But first it's going to get smutty! Loves to all of you, reviews are appreciated!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**So, despite my incessant begging, I still don't own OUAT or any of it's characters. The people who own them, ABC and Disney, refuse to hand them over. **_

CHAPTER 2

DREAMS

"_**I don't have a choice but I still choose you"-Poison and Wine, The Civil Wars**_

It must be the middle of the night. She's standing in the hallway wearing a white nightdress and she's looking for him. She knows that he's around because she can feel his presence. It was something she's acquired the first day she'd come to live with him.

She knew he could feel her presence too.

She bites her lower lip and clutches the trim on the corner of the wall. She can see him now. He's sitting at the window, watching the rain splatter across it. His eyes are dark and incredibly focused, not daring to glance in her direction even though she knows that he knows she's there. He's wearing his usual leather pants and red shirt with a gold vest over it. She loves his clothes, though she can't help wondering where on earth the inspiration could have come from. Still, seeing him there makes her feel things all over. Her lips tingle and heat rushes through the inside of her legs.

She stumbles around the corner but doesn't go over to him yet. She's just watching him. Watching the way his lips curl in concentration because he doesn't want to look at her.

"W-What are you doing?" she asks softly.

He still doesn't meet her eyes. "Why are you awake, dearie? You should sleep. Nothing good happens in the middle of the night." he says, not answering her question.

"I'm not looking for anything good."

His eyes flash over her body in a split second, but she can see the way that they linger in all the places she wanted. But it's over soon, and he's staring out the window again. "I don't think you realize what you're asking for," he tells her.

She strolls over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and leaning down to whisper in his ear. "Oh, believe me. I know _exactly _what I'm asking for." She does her best to make her voice sound syrupy sweet.

"And what's that?"

"You."

And then she's there, running her hands all over him. Down his chest and across his thighs. He lets her do this, not uttering a word as she runs her nimble fingers over the front of those tight leather pants. She looks up at him and bites her lip nervously. His eyes reflect back into hers, deeper and darker than ever.

"Why are you doing this, Belle?" he asks her.

Tears sting in her eyes and she can't even begin to fathom the reason why. "Because I love you" she says, her voice catching in her throat, "I've always loved you."

He stares down at her for only a moment before his mouth takes hers and his hands are tangling in her hair and he's panting hot breath in her mouth and she's moaning and kissing him back as hard as she can manage. His fingers are flying across her skin, begging to touch her. She's following his movements, grasping his hands with hers, letting him trace her body.

"And why is it," he whispers in her ear, "That you love me?"

"I don't have a choice" she says, gasping.

He reclaims her mouth with his and his tongue roams every corner, sweeping through her mouth and pushing her tongue around. She lets him do this until he moves to whisper in her ear again.

"Everyone has a choice, dearie. Just make sure it's the right one."

Everything is a blur. Floating around her and not making the slightest bit of sense. She doesn't want him to stop this and she can feel how much he wants her, too. She can feel it. She can feel _him _like she's always wanted to but she's always been to scared to admit to herself, let alone him. And now she's got him. She can feel his fingers rubbing at her center through the thin fabric of her nightdress and it's making her crazy. She sighs and moans with pleasure, grasping at his clothes and hair. The heat between the is screaming through every part of her and she's begging for every part of him. She needs this, and she knows that he needs it too.

She can see his skin contrasting against hers and it only makes her entire body ache for more. She arches up to him, still begging for him as he slides and hand under her nightdress and up her thigh. His finger pulses at her entrance for a moment before sliding deep inside her. She throws her head back and lets out a high pitched gasp. He laughs and shoves more finger into her, letting her feel even more. She's moaning and spasming and feeling things she never knew she could feel. She kisses him. Over and over she kisses him, trying to feel him everywhere.

She does her best to recover before grasping at the ties on his pants. She feels his hands on hers, but it's impossible to tell if he's helping her or trying to stop her. She continues tugging while trying to push herself onto his lap. Then she can feel his hard heat at her entrance. She can feel him pressed up against her and everything...everything she's wanted in the past few months in right there for her.

And then it's not. Her eyes snap open and she's alone in her room, covered in cold sweats. The front of her nightdress is completely soaked and she's lying far from where she remembers falling asleep. She sighs, not quite able to believe that this happened _again_. And that everything she'd dreamed of is still out of her reach.

_**Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it. Anyway, tomorrow it's back to the tavern so prepare yourselves!**_


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

SCOTCHES

"_**I said maybe you're gonna be the one that saves me"-That amaaaaazing Wonderwall cover by Ed Sheeran**_

He stares at her for a long, _long _moment, telling himself not to take her words to heart. After all, she has no idea what she's talking about. Not after all the schotches he's bought her. Her eyes don't move away from his though. She's acting as if she truly means this. That she thinks he's her true love.

He'd be lying if he said she was the only one who'd ever thought this. But she was definitely the first one to confront it. He'd always pushed it to the back of his mind, not letting it get in the way of other things he has planned. But it was always there. The way she made him feel was unreal. He always found himself lying awake thinking of her, replaying things she'd said in his mind. But he never would have dreamed she felt anything but loathing for him after he'd taken her from her friends and amily as his prisoner.

"W-What do you mean to tell me?" he asks.

She blinks and her head falls to the side, but she catches it in the hand she's got propped up by her elbow. "Oh please," she says, "you can't honestly say you don't see the way I look at you...you _must _know what I'm thinking." she rolls her eyes as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

But to him it's not. His eyes grow softer and his brow furrows. "How on earth would I know what you're thinking? You've always been a mystery to me."

She laughs softly and trails her free hand up and down his arm. "Can I give you a hint?" she asks, leaning towards him.

It was true that he'd sort of intended to have his way with her after giving her this much to drink...but he'd never intended for her to confess her love for him, so even though he knows that he wants this, it feels wrong.

So he can't help but thank the Gods when a tall, dark haired girl in a red cloak bursts through the door of the tavern.

"Please, please! I need help," the girl says, "The Queen...she's here...she's going to take my friend! Will one of you please help me?"

Rumple can't help but giggle at Belle, who rolls her eyes at the girl and taps on her glass impatiently.

Hearing his laugh, her eyes dart towards him. "What?" she asks.

He looks away from her, painting a picture of innocence. "Hm?"

She scoffs and rolls her eyes again.

Rumpelstiltskin glances around the tavern. There's a young man sitting by himself in the corner, looking utterly miserable. He's got curly hair and funny circular glasses and he's eyeing the brunette at the front of the room.

And apparently he's the only one doing so because no one is offering her any help. This wasn't very surprising to Rumple. There wasn't a soul in the entire realm crazy enough to go on her suicide mission against Regina as far as he was concerned.

The girl looks incredibly distraught. "Please," she says again, "Please help me."

A burly man sitting at a table in back with other burly men stands up and walks over to her.

"Who's this friend we're supposed to be helping, huh, Red?" he asks her.

The girl-_Red's _eyes grow wide. "Her name's F-Frosty," she stammers.

The burly guy snags a WANTED poster off the wall and waves it in Red's face. "Really? Are you sure it isn't this girl?" he demands, gesturing to the poster.

Red gulps. "Never...Never mind. I'll just go. I'm sorry."

She turns to leave but he grabs her hair through her hood. "You're not going anywhere," he growls.

Belle doesn't look quite so uninterested in the situation anymore. In fact, she's eyeing them intently, like it's a movie being played out in front of her.

Red forces his hands off her. "Please. I'll just go now." she tells him.

But he doesn't let it go. He yanks on her hair and spins her around to face him, cupping her face in his hands. "Why you wanna leave so soon?" he croons.

She struggles against him, but anyone can see that he's a million times stronger than her. Rumple shakes his head and turns back to him drink, trying not to let it bother him too much, but Belle refuses to tear her eyes away from them.

Rumpelstiltskin had never considered himself a protective man, but seeing this man torment Red that way lit a fuse in him. He tries to ignore it, sipping his drink and not looking at the look on that poor girls face, or the way he was touching her in front of all these people. But it's hard to ignore when he can still see Belle's reaction to it.

"Excuse me," a new voice says, "I think she told you to let her go."

Much to his dismay, Rumple's eyes dark up and he sees the curly haired boy in the funny glasses joining the craziness up front.

The burly guy sneers at him. "And who are you?"

The young guy shakes his head. "Please let her go. You have no right to treat her like this. It's wrong. She's done nothing to you."

The guy shoves Red away from him, and she collapses in a heap on the floor. "Well look at that, Red. Your knight in shining armor has come to save you."

_**I'm so sorry for the abrupt stop! I work on this every morning before I leave so it just happens that way sometimes, I'm so sorry! I'll have more on Monday, hold me to that! Thank you for all the amazingly wonderful reviews! You guys bring magic to my heart! ~RS14 **_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: If I owned OUAT you would know from all the Rumbelle sex.**_

CHAPTER 4

DREAMS

"We've been here too long, trying to get along. Pretending that we're oh so shy."-Do You Wanna Touch Me Ther, Joan Jett

He's never wanted anything the way he wants her. He's never found himself as incredibly entranced as when he sees her doing anything. Cooking, cleaning, carefully repositioning his things. Anything she did attracted him to her more and more. Her smile. Her laugh. Her dainty yet full figure. He wanted it all. He'd be lying if he said that wasn't part of his intentions when he brought her here. When his eyes landed on hers...so clear and blue and perfect...a not so little part of him knew he had to have her.

But it was getting torturous. Simply looking at her sparked desire in him. It was impossible to take.

So it is no surprise that he wound up banging down the door to her bedroom only to find her naked and scarcely covered by a blanket on her bed. She's pretending to sleep but he knows fully well that she's awake and she knows he's there. He knows this because he can see her trying to hide her smile in her pillow.

"Have you been waiting for me, dearie?" he asks her.

"Yes," she says into her pillow, "I've needed you for quite some time now."

And those words are all it takes for him to be on top of her, pinning her arms to her sides and forcing her to look at him.

"Is that so?"

She gasps and stares up at him, saying nothing.

"You should be careful what you say, dearie. You never know where it could lead," he murmurs.

He doesn't give her a chance to say anything before lowering his mouth to hers, kissing her passionately, the way he's always wanted to.

The sound of her moans fill his ear and he smiles against her, running his fingers through her hair. She arches up against him and he growls, angered by the fact that that damned sheet is keeping her from being pressed up against him. His hand clenches around the sheet and he rips it from the space between them before throwing it onto the ground aggressively. She gasps against him mouth, only peaking his desire. He puts his hand against her bare back, wanting her closer to him while the other hand teases her breast, making little circles around it before flicking and pinching at her nipple. He can feel her desire for him. Feel how much she needs him. It would be wrong of him to deny her that.

He runs one finger down her sternum, across her stomach, and thorough the curls surrounding her throbbing sex.

"Belle," he gasps, "do you want this?"

She doesn't answer. Of course she doesn't. She could never love him and he knew the fact that she hadn't asked him to stop was enough.

Her lack of response aggravates him. He wrenches him finger deep inside her, listening to her scream for only a moment before adding another, hard and fast. She's panting so hard he's afraid she'll stop breathing, but it doesn't matter enough for him to stop torturing her with pleasure. His finger pulses on the button he knows she's craving and he can feel her walls contract around his hand. Her screams erupt around the room. Her screams of his name.

"Is that what you wanted, dearie? Are you happy with this?" he asks her

She still doesn't answer. She just gasps and pants, which is only what he expects. He'd never let himself that she truly had any desire to let him do this to her. He slowly draws his hand out from her released walls, feeling how wet it is from her juices. He sucks on his fingers, thrilled with himself for getting her here. He looks at her. She looks tortured, but there's something else...he can almost mistake it for desire.

Almost. She arches up, gasping into his ear. "Rumpelstiltskin," she moans.

At that point he just let himself say fuck to all control. "Yes, love?"

"Stop."

And that's it. He's reminded of why the walls are there to begin with. Why he's never let himself feel anything for another person since his son. Because love his weakness. He was sure he'd known that. But was this really love? Or just pure and simple lust fueling his actions? He could never quite be sure. He couldn't be sure of anything anymore.

Except her. When he felt completely alone...when anything went wrong, he saw her and was sure of only one thing: he needed her.

But it's quite clear that she doesn't need him. It's clear that she needs her family, her friends, and her cushy little palace. But she doesn't need him in the slightest.

And that's why she's gone and he's lying alone in the dark on her bed trying to remember what her body felt like beneath his with only the sounds of the wind and rain to comfort him. And the words of his regrets echoing around him.

_"He returned home to a wife who could not bear the sight of him."_

"_Women do not like to be married to cowards."_

_"You see it don't you? You hurt people all the time."_

_"You coward! Don't break our deal!_

_You coward._

_You coward."_

And he's toppling over, so close to falling off the edge and giving up entirely because the walls he's spent his lifetime building up are crumbling onto him all because of Belle. All because of him perfect little beauty.

So close. So close he swears that he can hear people begging him to fall. And he's ready to listen to them.

Until he is awakened by the sound of rain.

**Oh dear God I swear that was not supposed to be that depressing. Sorry it took me so long to update! Please accept my condolences. I hope you liked this. Random fact: Glad You Came came onto the radio while I was writing this...wooo! Anyway, next time it's back to the tavern with more Red Cricket so be prepared! **


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own OUAT, if I did they wouldn't be allowed to show it on public television channels. **

**CHAPTER 5**

**SCOTCHES**

**"I'm falling from cloud nine, crashing from the high."-Wide Awake, Katy Perry**

Rumpelstiltskin eyes the three people up front, trying to intimidate them without actually doing anything.

"Little Ruby Red," the big burly guy says to her, "So sweet and pretty. Can't help but attract these types," he gestures to the young guy beside him, "Shame. It only hurts them, you know."

Red scowls from her spot on the floor. The guy laughs and presses the young boy up against the wall, holding him by his grips Belle's wrist and she looks at him out of the corner of her eye. "It's fiiiiiine, Rum," she drawls, "I'm fine."

He's not about to let that one slide. "Rum?" he asks.

She blushes and looks away from him, her head rolling a little. "Sorry," she mutters, "I just...I..."

Rumpelstiltskin shakes his head at her. She is amazing. She never fails to astound him.

"HEY!" he hears Red yell, "Let him go!"

Rumple looks up a but unwillingly. The young boy looks quite awful, all pressed up against the wall, still being choked by the giant man.

"Oh stop it, Red. This will be good for you," the burly man says.

Red glares at his back before standing up, taking off her pretty black flat shoe, and hurling it at him. It hits him in the back hard and he whips around.

"Such a shame," Belle muses, "Her shoes are so very pretty."

Rumple lets out a spurt of laughter and holds her wrist a little tighter.

Red's eyes are turning a strange gold color and she's shaking with what everyone assumes is anger. Her cloak is on the ground in a crumpled mess and she's breathing hard and fast.

"What do you think you're doing, _Red Riding Hood?_" the perpetrator of the violence snarls at her.

Red grits her teeth together and growls. Belle squeals and tugs on the sleeve of Rumple's shirt with the hand he isn't grasping. "He's going to hurt her!"she says, "You have to help them!"

Rumple sighs, obviously burdened by the idea of playing the hero. "What would you suggest, Belle?" he asks.

"You have magic!" she says, her eyes wide, "Use it! Use it to help them!"she shakes her head up and down a whole bunch.

He looks up and sees the young man with his arms wrapped protectively around Red and the burly man laughing at them. "You really think _you _can protect her?" he asks, "You have nothing, boy. I'd best leave."

"I'm not leaving her here for you to hurt her," the boy says.

But Rumple can see that Red won't be getting hurt. She's shaking in the boy's arms and her eyes burn brighter than before. There's magic in her...but it isn't something she can control.

"Help them," Belle whispers.

Rumple stands up slowly and strides over to the scene. The entire place goes silent. "Excuse me," he says to the big man.

All three of them stand dumbstruck, not uttering a word. _So, _Rumple thinks to himself, _I suppose this will be a monologue._

"Let these two leave in peace. We can't have anyone getting...hurt, now can we?" he says. Belle has a little pep rally going on in her clouded head.

"I...I...I was just..." the burly man stammers.

Rumple grins wickedly. "You know, it's funny. I don't approve of people who just...the last man I knew who just...well, I suppose that's be a tough story for you to hear."

"No, no! It's fine! They're fine! I'll just let them go! I'm so sorry!"

Rumpelstiltskin shakes his head. "Don't. Bother." He raises his hand, magic oozing from it as her lowers the man onto the ground until he is nothing more than a simple snail, sluggishly moving across the floor.

Red and the boy gasp, but to Rumple's utter shock, he hears Belle let out a little cheer from the bar. Rumple whips around and gives her a look she'd never seen him wear. And he's just about to run over to her and forget this whole thing happened when he feels a hand on his shoulder. He turns around. It's the young boy with the glasses.

"Thank you," he says, "We both, uh...we really appreciated that."

Rumple doesn't have the time to answer because the boy turns back to Red and puts her cloak around her shoulders. She instantly relaxes and smiles at him. The boy grins back at her and she giggles. "I'll help you out," he tells her, putting his arm around her waist.

She grins again, flashing her gorgeous white teeth. "Thank you, sir," she says.

"Jiminy," he tells her.

Rumple watches the two of them walk out of the tavern with a heaviness inside him. It was nice to see. He could care less about the happiness of other most of the time, but something about these two just felt...right. It reminded him a bit of how he felt around Belle.

Belle. He turns and walks back to her and is astonished when she throws her arms around him. "Oh, thank you!" she rejoices, "That was so very...brave."

He smiles into her shoulder. Brave? That was a first. He puts his hand on the back of her hair and pulls away from her slowly. "I told you before, dearie. Don't thank me just yet."

She give him an odd look. "Wh..." she trails off as both their eyes go to the blonde bartender hovering over the snail on the ground with a broom and dustpan.

The bartender sighs. "Well," she mutters, "I suppose I'll have to take care of this." She sweeps the snail into the dustpan and the entire tavern winces at the cracking sound.

**That was such a fun chapter to write! I love Red Cricket, especially now that I know Raphael Sbarge ships it too! Woot woot! Also, for those of you who didn't know, Emilie de Ravin and Meghan Ory are both regulars for next season! Ciao for now, dearies!**


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

DREAMS

"_**Just pull me down hard and drown me in love"-Come on Get Higher, Matt Nathanson**_

It's late in the morning.

He makes his way down the staircase slowly, and sees her scrubbing hard at the surface of the dining room table. She's biting her lip in concentration and not letting her eyes so much as meet his for a second.

"Good morning, Belle," he says to her.

The sound of his voice sends shivers all the way up her spine and back down again. _Dammit_, she thinks to herself, _why is that so goddamn charming?_. He slowly walks over to her. He's making large strides, but approaching her slowly so as to be more dramatic with it. That seemed to be his favorite thing in the world to do. Be overly dramatic. Belle scrubs harder at the surface of the table.

"You know," Rumpelstiltskin says, "As much as I appreciate your hard work, I'm having trouble seeing exactly what it is you're cleaning so hard."

It isn't until she feels his breath at her neck that she realizes he's right next to her. Her eyes dart up for only a second, but a second is all it takes. She's been reeled in. She breathes rapidly and licks her lips, trying to find words to answer his remark. "The…the table," she says, but it comes out with gasps inbetween, "I'm cleaning the table."

He breathes slowly and softly against her neck for a long moment before turning around and making his way over to the spinning wheel in the corner. "I see," he says softly.

Belle closes her eyes and chews on her lip. _What on earth is wrong with me?_ she asks herself, _it was only a dream. Only a dream. _

But she found herself wondering if it wasn't only a dream. After all, if that's all it was, then why couldn't she stop thinking about it. About _him_. She can't stop herself from hoping that he'd just whip around from the spinning wheel and flip her over on the table before just having his way with her right there. If he'd only just kiss her like no one ever had before (including Gaston, the useless prick who constantly tried to have her.), if he'd only just make her feel everything she wanted.

It's then that she realizes she's staring, and that his eyes are boring right back into hers. She blushes and looks back down at the table.

"Why don't you take a break, dearie," he says.

She nods slowly and turns around before pushing herself up on the table. "Okay," she mutters, "Is there anything else you needed?" _Anything at all? Perhaps me, naked on the table so you can have me any way you want…_

"No. Honestly, I think you've done enough for the day. You can just relax. Read a book, perhaps?" he says to her.

"Really? It's hardly the middle of the day?" _Why would you let me relax? I haven't done nearly enough._

But he doesn't ask anything more of her. Instead, he just smiles at her and says, "Yes, Belle. Really." She finds herself wearing a little pout because of that response, but wipes it away as soon as she notices, so as not to make him think she really cared that he didn't want to spend time around her. Even though she does care. She cares more than she's willing to admit to herself. Why was that? She'd feel guilty saying that it was pure lust. It was something more. The way she felt around him was unreal. He made her feel protected and cared for…and loved.

She sighs and turns around, making her way out of the spinning room and down the hall, considering it best not to over-analyze the way she's feeling. Instead, she turns a corner into the library. There were at least a thousand books in there, surely one of them could give her what she so desperately desired.

_**Sorry this is so short! The point was really just angst. I'm going to be sending them back to the tavern in the next chapter, and the entire story should only be nine or ten chapters. See ya'll soon, dearies 3**_

_**I also apologize for not having this up sooner. I was working nonstop on an EmmaxBaelfire fic (To Never Forget, Rated M), but now that it's done, I'm going to be able to focus on this again. **_


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